Following the earthquake on October 23, 2011, a second powerful tremor struck eastern Turkey on November 9, killing 40 people including a Japanese rescue worker and two Turkish journalists who were covering the aftermath of the October quake.
The strong quake came on top of a severe cold snap that left much of the province of Van covered in snow, as refugees in the stricken city of Ecris continued to live out of tents. READ MORE

• December 30, 2011

Violence in the western Kazakh town of Zhanaozen earlier this month left 16 people dead

• December 29, 2011

With Libyan oil production returning to pre-war levels, Russian energy companies might be well positioned to work with the new government, an analyst said.

• December 29, 2011

Ehud Barak, the defense minister of Israel, said in late November that it was probably a question of nine months before Iran’s attempt to acquire nuclear weapons moved into a “zone of immunity” where it could no longer be stopped.

• December 29, 2011

Russia's gas export monopoly Gazprom will not abandon its plans to implement the South Stream gas pipeline project, even if it reaches agreement with Ukraine on operating its gas transportation system, Gazprom export head Alexander Medvedev said on Wednesday.

• December 28, 2011

Iran would swap 500,000 barrels of crude oil per day with Caspian Sea littoral states.

• December 28, 2011

Afghanistan on Wednesday signed an oil deal with China which could earn the war-torn country $7 billion over 25 years.

• December 28, 2011

India and Japan on Wednesday will discuss the prospects of reviving civil nuclear cooperation negotiations and may sign a currency swap pact that could help stem the rupee’s slide.

• December 27, 2011